Through Rose Colored Glasses
by Calico1185
Summary: Tristan finds himself in need of moral support on a trip to Paris with his sick grandfather. Rory has agreed to go, but are either prepared for the effects the trip will have on their relationship? Cowritten with Dax Steele.
1. Default Chapter

He leaned on the lamppost on the corner and stared in the window. It wasn't hard to find her, there were only a few places Rory Gilmore would go during her summer vacation. She wasn't home, he had checked there first, next was the library where he again met with a dead end, but the most obvious answer proved to be the correct one. She was perched on a stool at the counter of the local coffee shop reading a book and sipping her addiction down reverently. "At least some things never change." Tristan smiled and backed away heading back toward his car. He wasn't ready to see her yet. He should have been in London by now. His father had demanded his attendance at some function with the British well to do but his grandfather wasn't doing well and Tristan had opted to come home for his vacation. Not home exactly, he was staying at his grandfather's estate as far from his parents as possible. The last thing he needed was another lecture from his mother about the importance of social appearances. He had spent his last seven months locked away at a military school and he wanted to relax with his time off, at least as much relaxing as he could do knowing Rory was this close to him. He hadn't even made it to his grandfather's yet, the rented car had somehow pointed itself in the direction of Stars Hollow before he ever made it to Hartford. "See you tomorrow, Mary." He smiled and started the engine. Tomorrow he would emerge from the shadows and risk being rejected once again. Tristan was anything but masochistic outside the realm of the innocent girl at the counter but something about her drew him like a moth to a flame. The Mercedes pulled away from the curb and headed to Hartford. He would most likely spent the rest of the day gushing to his grandfather about her. "You're pathetic DuGrey." He shook his head and flipped on the radio in an attempt to empty his mind. He would deal with his insecurities tomorrow, today he was going to relax and get settled.  
  
Rolling over, he groaned as the sunlight hit him through the open window. He had indeed spent the last evening gushing to his grandfather, who had merely smiled knowingly and nodded. The old man knew him too well. Perhaps it was because Tristan was so much like him. But with that thought, another one struck him. Today he would have to face Rory.  
  
His time at military school had taught him a lot about himself. He had discovered that, when he wasn't pressured into playing the typical rich boy role, he wasn't nearly as unhappy. True, he still had arrogance and Rory would probably find him to be insufferably cocky, but he still wasn't the same. He couldn't place his finger on exactly WHAT had changed or WHEN it had happened, but something about him was different and he was content with the change. Now, he had to test himself as he was thrust back into a place he left behind. Rory's grandparents were hosting a small garden party. In typical Hartford fashion, it would be tasteful, elegant, and downright stuffy. There was nothing about a garden party that he couldn't handle. Except her. He had heard that Rory had been attending a few of these gatherings, so she would still be in her own element. When he was honest with himself, he admitted that she was always in her own element. The dark halls of Chilton had always been the throne room where he sat as king, but the academic obsession was completely belonging to Rory. In less than two years she had made it her own and turned his world upside down.  
  
Tristan threw back and covers and stood to his feet. Heading off to take a shower, he prepared to meet his demon and his savior.  
  
Rory stood with her grandmother and she chatted with her friends about the most recent scandal at a social gathering. She could not believe her mother had bailed! Talking Luke into coming with them, Lorelei had known she would at least be guaranteed good coffee. When the guarantee for coffee had turned into Luke being bored to tears, she'd left her daughter to go see a movie with her boyfriend. Rory was now left with the Jeep and her grandparents insisting that she stay through lunch. There were a few people that she recognized from Chilton, but in typical Chiltonite fashion, they were all huddled together and ignoring her completely.  
  
They were standing on the back lawn as servants cooked on the grills and set cold dishes out on the elegantly laid tables. Fiddling with the hem of her skirt, she glanced around again. There was no way her day could get any worse. And then there, out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a blonde head. Turning around, she was confronted with a pair of dazzling blue eyes and intentionally messy hair. No, he couldn't be here. He was supposed to be in North Carolina. And yet, there he was. Not having seen her yet, he stood under a large oak tree. Now what the hell was she supposed to do? 


	2. Coffee Wars

"Tristan." The name was a whisper on her lips. She hadn't expected to see him again. Something deep in her heart had missed him but she had convinced herself that he would forget about her. If absence made the heart grow founder it also made the mind grow weary. There was almost a shy smile on his lips, as if he was unsure what her reaction would be. she shook her head burying the hopeful thought with the other positive memories of him. Tristan DuGrey was never unsure and it drove her crazy. Her eyes came to focus on him once again and a gasp escaped her lips when she found him standing right in front of her. His faced was graced the arrogant smirk she knew so well but he seemed to figet slightly. Something was off, Tristan never fidgets. "Hello Rory." She looked curiously at him. Tristan also never used her name. "Are you alright, you're not dying or anything are you?" She wanted to shove her foot all the way down her throat to keep herself from making a bigger embarrassment of herself. He looked stunned for a moment. "Why would you say that?" "You called me Rory, and you're figetting." A deep blush covered her cheeks as she babbled out her explaination. "I was half expecting you to slap me when you saw me again." He chuckled, releaved by her reaction. He still had some affect on her. Unfortunately she had noticed one of his reactions to her. "Why would I want to do that?" She cocked her head and studied him. "For being such a jerk to you." His response was quiet almost vulnerable. Her heart stopped and her hand shot out to feel his forehead. "Are you sure you aren't dying?" HE was about to abandon ship when he noticed a sly smile on her face. "I guess I deserved that." He smiled and she wanted to melt. "How is everything?" "Good I guess, mom and Luke are dating, Paris still hates me and Chilton still fosters to the Devil's offspring." She shrugged with a laugh. "How are you and Dean?"  
  
"Me and Dean? Uhhh.." the question sounded hollow to her, reminding her just how long Tristan had really been gone. "We're-ok.in a friendly type of way."  
  
Tristan stood in a state of confusion as he watched the way she ducked her head down and looked anywhere but at him. "Well, being friendly is always good when you're dating," he observed.  
  
"Yeah, it is," she agreed as she tried desperately to think of a graceful way out of this. "Also, if you're-well, friends." Since when was speaking so hard for her? She excelled at it. Her and her mom should be given medals for their amazing vocabulary skills!  
  
"You guys broke up?" He would have had similar trouble talking if he hadn't been so incredulous. "I thought you were the amazing couple that would stick together through college and get married to raise your family in a cute little house with a white picket fence." Great, she threw him for one loop and he took them back to square one.  
  
Rory, glad for the return of Cocky Tristan as opposed to Vulnerable Tristan, felt her eyes blaze as she reverted back to their vicious banter. "At least that was a possibility when we started dating. We didn't have some silent agreement that it would only last for a week before we moved on to new ground."  
  
"You know what," he held up his hand, "forget it. We bring out the bitterness in each other and I'm still tired from my trip. You're mad, I'm gonna get there. I'll just walk away before this turns bloody."  
  
"Tristan," she sighed as she reached out to grab his hand and swing him back around. His face was a controlled mask of indifference that didn't fool her one bit. "I didn't mean that. Yes, Dean and I broke up. I just wasn't content with 'us' anymore, but we still get along. Wanna start from there?"  
  
He smiled slightly. She was trying. "So, you're mom and coffee supplier? That figures."  
  
"Don't start with me," she warned.  
  
"Maybe I should take a hint from him. I could open a chain of coffee shops and agree to give you free coffee for as long as you date me and free coffee for life if you marry me."  
  
"You could have something there," she consented.  
  
"Uhh.you seem to be the talk of the moment," Tristan nodded once to her grandmother and a group of her friends as they all watched the pair and talked excitedly.  
  
Rory rolled her eyes. "Great, the Hartford gossip chain at their best!"  
  
"You might want to go diffuse the situation before it gets too bad."  
  
"You're probably right. Be back in a minute."  
  
Watching Rory walk away from him, Tristan took a moment to observe her. Her long hair was pulled away from her face in a casual upsweep, complimenting her creamy skin, blue eyes and pink lips perfectly. She wore a jade green sun dress that reached above her knees and moved with every swing of her hips. She turned away from her grandmother and made her way back to him.  
  
"Apparently, my exquisite taste in company has warranted permission for us to leave if we want," she told him with another small eye roll.  
  
"Exquisite, huh?" the smirk took full steam and reached his eyes this time.  
  
"Don't get too cocky, those were her words, not mine."  
  
"Well, since your mom left and you're not exactly thrilled to be here anyway, how about we go get coffee or something?"  
  
"Coffee would be great." Her eyes sparkled at the thought of ambrosia.  
  
"Let's go Hebe."  
  
"Hebe?"  
  
"Don't know your Greek mythology do you?" She tsked playfully as they walked to their cars. "Tristan, I'm shocked, how did you ever make it into an Ivy league school?"  
  
"Enlighten me, Einstein." He grinned.  
  
"Well for one thing, Einstein was a man, but I'm sure you knew that." She chuckled as he rolled his eyes. "I'm sure you don't know Hebe was a woman, a lesser god to be exact. She was responsible for serving ambrosia to the gods on Mt. Olympus."  
  
"Your random bits of knowledge in all things relating to coffee never cease to amaze me. I bet you think Zeus drank espresso."  
  
"Of course." She unlocked the jeep and crawled in. "Where to?"  
  
"Follow me, I know this little hole in the wall with great coffee."  
  
"Ah, the words are music to my ears."  
  
"You have a problem Rory, you have a problem and you need help." He shook his head and turned toward his car. "Do you think they have a version of methadone for caffeine addicts."  
  
"Traitor, you owe me two cups for that." She bellowed at the retreating form. after a quick drive into downtown Hartford Tristan pulled his car into one of the parking garages. He leaned against the hood waiting for her to join him. "So where is this place?"  
  
"Around the corner from here. It's one of my hideouts." He lead her down the steps of the garage and into an alley. "  
  
"You weren't kidding about the hole in the wall part were you?" She shivered slightly missing the warmth of the sun  
  
"Nope. Come on in." He pushed open a glass door marked midnight cafe' and held it for her.  
  
"Tristan?" A woman behind the counter squealed and ran to pull him into a hug. "I was starting to think you would never stop in again."  
  
"Hey Kelly, is Rick in?"  
  
"Yeah, he's in the back. You want me to go drag his sorry butt out here?"  
  
"Yeah, tell him I found someone who will truly appreciate the art of his coffee."  
  
"I'm guessing that is you?" Kelly peeked around Tristan's broad shoulders to find Rory waiting patiently at the door. "Come on in." "I'm Kelly, I used to take care of this brat when he was a baby." She pinched his cheek mischievously. "Rick, get out here. The prodigal son has returned."  
  
"Tristan?" He popped his head around the corner and rushed to hug him.  
  
"Hey Rick, I would like to introduce you both to Rory Gilmore, coffee aficionado."  
  
"Fancy yourself an expert do you?" His eyes sparkled brightly.  
  
"I can hold my own."  
  
"If you can pass my simple test you can have a cup of my ambrosia on the house."  
  
"Ooh, sorry Tristan you've usurped. Fire away Hebe."  
  
"Ooh, Tristan, I like this girl. Hold on to this one." He rubbed his hands together anxiously. "Alright little lady, have a seat at the counter and we will begin. Each correct answer leads to half a cup of Joe." He set a mug in front of her and picked up with a pot of fresh coffee. "We'll start with an easy one. Biggest crime in the coffee world."  
  
"Instant coffee." Rick smiled and poured her half a cup.  
  
Ooh, she's good, didn't even bat an eyelash." Kelly laughed.  
  
"I hope he's prepared to give away alot of coffee, she's the only one I've ever met that can hold a candle to him."  
  
"Tell me the two varieties of coffee plants."  
  
"Actually there are 32 species in the Coffea species, however Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora are the most commonly used in beverage production."  
  
"Wow." Kelly whispered.  
  
"I told you she was good." Tristan smirked as he poured her the rest of the cup. She sniffed the coffee longingly before taking a sip.  
  
"God, this is good." She moaned sadly when the cup was empty. "Next question please."  
  
"Where are Arabica beans grown?"  
  
"Just pour more, that question wasn't even worth my time." She rolled her eyes.  
  
"Fiesty aren't you, that's okay. I need a challenge." Rick pulled up a stool and the battle of wits had begun. "Best method for harvesting?"  
  
"Selective method, very expensive and only used on Arabica, but ensures only ripe cherrys are taken. Best method for processing: wet method, ensures the intergirty of the bean, but of course costs a fortune. Very few companies use it. Hand over the brew magic man." Rory smiled sweetly.  
  
"Tristan, you've definately found someone worthy of my coffee." Rick laughed and poured her another cup.  
  
"They're going to be at this for hours you know that right?" Kelly smiled and poured him his own cup.  
  
"Yeah, I know, she never backs down from a challenge. Gives me some to catch up with you." He sat at a table in the corner and smiled over at Rory, currently in a debate about the best retail brand. He turned back to Kelly and caught up on everything that happened while he was away at school.  
  
"How long have you been in love with her?" Kelly whispered consiratorily across the table.  
  
"What?"  
  
She laughed at the stunned look on his face. "Oh please, I've known you since you were in diapers, and you have never brought any of your girl friends to meet me."  
  
"She's not a girl friend."  
  
Kelly noticed a sad look in his eyes. "Ah, but you want her to be. That and more."  
  
"It will never happen."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"I was horrible to her. The day I left for North Carolina was probably her best day."  
  
Kelly reached over and took his hand. "She's here now." She chuckled. "You better go steal her away from my husband before he puts the moves on her." Tristan burst out laughing.  
  
"Name the ten criteria for classifying coffee."  
  
"Easy again. Type -- robusta, washed, arabica. Taste -- Strictly soft, harsh. Body -- lacking, too heavy. Acidity -- some, too much at the top. Age -- old to fresh. Defects -- sour, grassy, musty. Cup -- roast, watery, burned, old. Overall assessment -- neutral, spicy, hard. Aroma -- weak to strong. Fullness -- slight to considerable. Now pour, need more, need more." She was bouncing slightly in her seat.  
  
"How much have you given her Rick?"  
  
"What are we on question thirteen?" Rick shrugged and Rory nodded.  
  
"You gave her six cups?"  
  
"Yes. He is truly a coffee God."  
  
"You are welcome in my shop anytime young Jedi." HE smiled.  
  
"Oh Lord." Tristan rolled his eyes. "I hope you are prepared to scrape her off the ceiling."  
  
Rory skittered across the room and sat down next to him. "Scoot over, your hogging the seat. Rick come, join, bring the coffee."  
  
"You just made a friend for life." Kelly smiled at the girl. "No one's ever made it past question five." Rick walked over to the table with a mug of his own and a fresh pot. Rory smirked when he topped off her cup.  
  
"See, Rick loves me, he gives me coffee. What have you ever done for me?" She scowled at Tristan's protest and pulled her mug safely within her grasp.  
  
"Introduced you to Rick."  
  
"Oh, yeah. Okay, I guess I'll keep you around then." She snuggled back into the soft cushions of the booth and leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder.  
  
"Wow, coffee really is the way to your heart. I should have thought of this alot sooner." He leered and she sighed.  
  
"Tristan, learn to keep your mouth shut. You're ruining my grateful moment."  
  
"Yes ma'am."  
  
Rick and Kelly shared knowing smiles before sliding back out of the booth. "We're going to go finish up inventory. Tristan, come back soon and plan to spend a couple of hours here. Young Jedi, feel free to drink all the coffee you want," Rick said with a smile.  
  
"With NO," Kelly looked sternly at Tristan, "interference from anyone."  
  
"Yay! My two new best friends!" Rory cheered as she bounced in her seat.  
  
"Oh, Lord," Tristan rolled his eyes, watching the couple disappear in the back of the shop. Looking down to the head resting on his shoulder, he couldn't resist a small nudge to her.  
  
"Eh, stop! I'm comfy," she promptly complained.  
  
"Yes, but I introduced you to someone who will never deny you coffee and worship you as a pious coffee mistress for all your days. You owe me."  
  
"Never mind, I'll move," she grumbled, straightening in her seat.  
  
"That wasn't the point," he sighed patiently as he reached to pull her back to him. "The point was to try and ask what else has been going on in your life while I've been gone."  
  
"Well, let's see.Paris is Paris, homework still rivals all the ancient Roman manuscripts known to man and my mom has finally come to her senses and started dating the love of her life.yep, that's it."  
  
"I didn't expect Paris to turn into Elvis while I was gone, Chilton wouldn't be Chilton without the homework, and you already told me about your mom. I was asking about you."  
  
Rory reached to refill her mug and took a deep sip. "Well, I'm still working on the Harvard thing, not dating anyone, and Lane and I are spending most of our weekends hanging around town. There's not much to tell," she shrugged.  
  
"How are the infamous Chiltonites treating you?" he asked quietly. His time of tormenting her as one of those Chiltonites weren't exactly his finest moments.  
  
"Huh," she half laughed, half snorted as she studied her coffee. "Like typical Chiltonites. They're polite, a few are even friendly, but no phone number exchanges or slumber parties in our near future."  
  
"I'm sorry," he told her as he reached to top her mug off and pour more for himself.  
  
"We've done the sorry thing. Don't worry about it. Besides, you weren't here to do anything and you've been good since you got back. Without you, I may never have found this place!" she smiled, hoping it would bring his spirits back up. That he felt guilty for his past actions was obvious, but she was determined to make him get over it.  
  
"Somehow I think coffee is going to be the key to winning arguments with you in the future."  
  
"Good guess," she readily agreed.  
  
"Come on. I need a little fresh air and you've had enough." She started to complain, but he was already pushing her out and prodding her forward. "Kelly, Rick!" They both came out and stood expectantly. "We're gonna go walk around for a while. I'll try to drop in tomorrow, though."  
  
"Ok, great to have you back, Kid!"  
  
"How much do I owe you?"  
  
"It's on the house. The Young Jedi must have fuel to reach full strength," Rick winked at her and grinned when she winked back.  
  
"Don't encourage her," Tristan warned as he hugged Kelly and reached back for Rory.  
  
"Thank you, Oh Wise One. I'll be sure to drop in here until you threaten to throw me out," Rory promised as Tristan tugged her hand.  
  
"Not likely," Rick scoffed. "Bring her back a lot, Kid!"  
  
"Will do!" Tristan saluted, holding the door for Rory and smiling at his friends before leaving.  
  
"So, where are we headed?" Rory asked as he pulled her out into the sunlight.  
  
"Where do you want to go?"  
  
"I don't know. I've never been here." She shrugged. She and her mother stuck to the mall and the movie theatre when they visited Hartford. She had never seen the downtown area.  
  
"You've never been here?" Tristan graced her with a huge grin and grabbed her hand dragging her down the street. He had a plan to put another chink in her armor. "I know just the place to start."  
  
"Where are we going?"  
  
"It's a surprise." He was glad she hadn't tried to pull her hand away from him. They wove through the lunch hour crowd of pedestrians and came to stop in front of another small shop with no windows beyond the door. "Here."  
  
"Here?" She read the sign on the door and turned to him cautiously. "Over the Rainbow? Tristan is there something you aren't telling me?"  
  
"Yeah cause that wouldn't get your ass kicked in military school." He rolled his eyes. "Welcome to Oz, Mary." He pulled her into the shop before she could protest. It took her a minute to adjust to lack of light in the store but once she did her eyes went huge.  
  
"Wow." Any misgivings she might have had from the humble storefront flew out the window. Before her sat a two story bookstore.  
  
"It's all antique books, mostly fiction." Tristan whispered.  
  
"How did you find this place?" She whispered back with the reverence on would find in a church. To Rory, this place was as holy as they come.  
  
"Kelly brought me when I was old enough to get my first real book." He shrugged. "Don't just stand there, look around." He watched her slip up and down the aisles, brushing her fingers over the spines like a soft caress.  
  
"So tell me about you. How was military school?"  
  
"Exactly how you would expect it to be, early mornings, screaming drill sergeants, bad food in the mess hall." He shrugged. "Chilton with different uniforms and a shooting range."  
  
"A Shooting range at Chilton would definitely be a bad idea. There would be some very dead socialites." He chuckled slightly and nodded in agreement. "How is the family?" She missed the dark look in his eyes as she studied an old copy of Crime and Punishment.  
  
"Avoidance is key." She looked at him waiting for him to explain. "They are in Europe."  
  
"You're staying all by yourself in that museum?"  
  
"Are you volunteering to keep me company, Mary?" He smirked out of habit.  
  
"No, but I'm you could find someone on this short notice. Louise perhaps."  
  
"No thank you." He chuckled. "I'm staying with my grandparents."  
  
"Ahh. That's better anyway right? I mean you like your grandfather."  
  
"Yeah, it's definitely better than a summer with my parents. You know, except for not being able to parade me around like some circus pony, I think they were relieved they didn't have to deal with me all summer."  
  
"My mom rented a circus pony for a party one summer." She blushed furiously realizing that she had truly spoken the words out loud.  
  
"Oh yeah? And what did the infamous Lorelei Gilmore want a pony for?"  
  
"To get back at my grandmother. She put a sign on the saddle that said Lorelei Leigh Gilmore and paraded it around one of my grandmother's garden parties."  
  
Tristan felt a bubble of laughter fighting to break loose. "How old was she?"  
  
"Twenty nine. I was in the saddle." Rory frowned, then started to chuckle. "She was always rubbing grandma's nose in it, you know? That they didn't support when she needed it." Rory shrugged. "I could count the number of times I saw them on one hand before I started at Chilton." She smiled sadly.  
  
"Do you wish they had been around more?"  
  
"Yes and no. I mean I wish I knew them better, but I like the way I grew up. You can't beat Stars Hollow. The people are great." She started to laugh. "Could you imagine my mother and I at all of those society functions hyped up on coffee and sugar."  
  
"They would have been a hell of a lot more interesting that's for sure."  
  
"I think I'll take that as a compliment." Rory smiled brightly. "So what are your plans for the summer?"  
  
"Seduce you." He shrugged lightly.  
  
"What?" He was positive the veins in her neck were going to burst, they were bulging dangerously close to the surface as it was.  
  
"Well, you know, I have to finish what I start."  
  
"And off all your unfinished projects," she half glared, "you're choosing THIS one?"  
  
"I have to keep bringing you by to see Rick and Kelly, so why not? Besides, this one's the most fun."  
  
Rory's face scrunched as she turned to go up the staircase, "You are an unbelievable jerk sometimes, Tristan."  
  
He followed closely and pulled her behind a bookshelf at the top. "Would you rather I simply keep bringing you back and let the coffee seduce you?"  
  
Seeing the mischievous twinkle in his eyes, she relaxed and took a moment to consider it. "Meaning you'll let me have coffee and behave like a gentleman?"  
  
"As much as I possibly can," he agreed.  
  
"That's not very encouraging."  
  
"I refuse to make promises I can't keep," he shrugged.  
  
"Ok, fine. You keep bringing me by for coffee, be on your best behavior and I'll-"  
  
"Keep the claws in?" he finished.  
  
"As much as I possibly can," she smirked in return.  
  
"Great," he rolled his eyes. "Now you're picking up habits of mine that you've always hated."  
  
"Payback's a bitch," she quoted.  
  
"And you're no angel," he whispered in her ear before sauntering down another aisle. Rory stood pondering his statement a moment before giving up and following after him. Sometimes he was so confusing.  
  
Across The Street  
  
"No, I want to know who he is," the woman whined as she stomped her foot at the man in front of her.  
  
"And you'll find out..just as soon as she goes home and tells you," he assured her in his most patronizing manner.  
  
"Come on, Lukey, you wanna know, too!"  
  
"Not enough to stalk Rory. Come on, Lorelei, I'm taking you home.and keeping you there until your poor daughter gets home."  
  
"But what if he's some serial kjller who we'll hear about when they find Rory's mutilated body?" she persisted as he pushed her backwards towards his truck.  
  
Luke squinted his eyes as he regarded the crazy woman in front of him. "You get the most disgusting ideas. Where do you come up with this stuff? I take it back! I don't want to know. Come on." He opened the door and waited until she flopped in the seat. Crossing her arms over her chest, she frowned petulantly as she looked out the window. Luke took one last look at her, sighed, and started the car. This should be a fun car ride. 


	3. Over the Rainbow

Disclaimer: Ok, I forgot to put this in before. I could go into the whole "We don't own anything" speel, but really.who thinks we do? Honestly, if we did, Rory wouldn't be bouncing between Dean the Bean and Jess the Mess. Jess isn't bad, definitely better that Dean, but still. We're just fans having some fun and don't own the show or the characters. Feel better now?  
  
"So, where are we headed?" Rory asked as he pulled her out into the sunlight.  
  
"Where do you want to go?"  
  
"I don't know. I've never been here." She shrugged. She and her mother stuck to the mall and the movie theatre when they visited Hartford. She had never seen the downtown area.  
  
"You've never been here?" Tristan graced her with a huge grin that sent shivers up her spine and grabbed her hand dragging her down the street. He had a plan to put another chink in her armor. "I know just the place to start."  
  
"Where are we going?"  
  
"It's a surprise." He was glad she hadn't tried to pull her hand away from him as they wove through the lunch hour crowd of pedestrians and came to stop in front of another small shop with no windows beyond the door. "Here."  
  
"Here?" She read the sign on the door and turned to him cautiously. "Over the Rainbow? Tristan is there something you aren't telling me?"  
  
"Yeah, cause that wouldn't get your ass kicked in military school." He rolled his eyes. "Welcome to Oz, Mary." He pulled her into the shop before she could protest. It took her a minute to adjust to lack of light in the store but once she did her eyes went huge.  
  
"Wow." Any misgivings she might have had from the humble storefront flew out the window. Before her sat a two story bookstore.  
  
"It's filled with antique books, mostly fiction." Tristan whispered into her ear as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer.  
  
"How did you find this place?" She whispered back with the reverence one would find in a church. To Rory, this place was as holy as they come.  
  
"Kelly brought me when I was old enough to get my first real book." He shrugged. "Don't just stand there, look around." He gave her a soft nudge and watched her slip up and down the aisles, brushing her fingers over the spines like a soft caress.  
  
"So tell me about you. How was military school?" She made no attempt to turn and look at him, too wrapped up in the treasures before her eyes.  
  
"Exactly how you would expect it to be, early mornings, screaming drill sergeants, bad food in the mess hall." He shrugged. "Chilton with different uniforms and a shooting range."  
  
"A shooting range at Chilton would definitely be a bad idea. There would be some very dead socialites." He chuckled slightly and nodded in agreement. "How is the family?" She missed the dark look in his eyes as she studied an old copy of Crime and Punishment.  
  
"Avoidance is key." She looked at him waiting for him to explain. "They are in Europe."  
  
"You're staying all by yourself in that museum?" Concern flashed in her eyes before he doused the flame.  
  
"Are you volunteering to keep me company, Mary?" He smirked out of habit. She sighed at the break in the peaceful conversation they were sharing.  
  
"No, but I'm sure you could find someone on this short notice. Louise perhaps."  
  
"No thank you." He chuckled and relinquished the battle he knew would come next. "I'm staying with my grandparents."  
  
"Ahh. That's better anyway right? I mean you like your grandfather."  
  
"Yeah, it's definitely better than a summer with my parents. You know, except for not being able to parade me around like some circus pony, I think they were relieved they didn't have to deal with me all summer."  
  
"My mom rented a circus pony for a party one summer." She blushed furiously realizing that she had truly spoken the words out loud.  
  
"Oh yeah? And what did the legendary Lorelei Gilmore want a pony for?"  
  
"To get back at my grandmother. She put a sign on the saddle that said Lorelei Leigh Gilmore and paraded it around one of my grandmother's garden parties."  
  
Tristan felt a bubble of laughter fighting to break loose. "How old was she?"  
  
"Twenty nine. I was in the saddle." Rory frowned, then started to chuckle. "She was always rubbing grandma's nose in it, you know? That they didn't her support when she needed it." Rory shrugged. "I could count the number of times I saw them on one hand before I started at Chilton." She smiled sadly.  
  
"Do you wish they had been around more?"  
  
"Yes and no. I mean I wish I knew them better, but I like the way I grew up. You can't beat Stars Hollow. The people are great." She started to laugh. "Could you imagine my mother and I at all of those society functions hyped up on coffee and sugar?"  
  
"They would have been a hell of a lot more interesting that's for sure."  
  
"I think I'll take that as a compliment." Rory smiled brightly. "So what are your plans for the summer?"  
  
"To seduce you." He shrugged lightly.  
  
"What?" He was positive the veins in her neck were going to burst, they were bulging dangerously close to the surface as it was.  
  
"Well, you know, I have to finish what I start."  
  
"And of all your unfinished projects," she half glared, "you're choosing THIS one?"  
  
"I have to keep bringing you by to see Rick and Kelly, so why not? Besides, this one's the most fun." He stepped up behind her and slid his arms back around her waist. She broke free of his hold despite her overwhelming desire to stay there. She could still feel the strong muscles of his chest singeing her skin where it had rested against her back.  
  
Rory's face scrunched as she turned to go up the staircase, "You are an unbelievable jerk sometimes, Tristan."  
  
He followed closely and pulled her behind a bookshelf at the top. "Would you rather I simply keep bringing you back and let the coffee seduce you?" Seeing the mischievous twinkle in his eyes, she relaxed and took a moment to consider it.  
  
"Meaning you'll let me have all the coffee I want and behave like a gentleman?"  
  
"As much as I possibly can," he agreed, holding up his hand in a mock salute.  
  
"That's not very encouraging."  
  
"I refuse to make promises I can't keep," he shrugged.  
  
"Ok, fine. You keep bringing me by for coffee, be on your best behavior and I'll-"  
  
"Keep the claws in?" he finished.  
  
"As much as I possibly can," she smirked in return.  
  
"Great," he rolled his eyes. "Now you're picking up habits of mine that you've always hated."  
  
"Payback's a bitch," she quoted, grabbing a book from the shelf.  
  
"And you're no angel," he whispered in her ear before sauntering down another aisle. Rory stood pondering his statement a moment before giving up and following after him. Sometimes he was so confusing. Tristan stopped suddenly as he replayed their conversation in his mind. If his imagination wasn't running away with him, and he was quite positive that it was, then Rory had just given him permission to seduce her. He stepped quietly beside her and laid a comforting hand on her back as she paid the cashier for the book she had selected.  
  
"What do you want to do now?"  
  
"I don't know. How about food?" She let him guide her out the door before allowing him to take her hand.  
  
Across The Street  
  
"No, I want to know who he is," the woman whined as she stomped her foot at the man in front of her.  
  
"And you'll find out, just as soon as she goes home and tells you," he assured her in his most patronizing manner.  
  
"Come on, Lukey, you wanna know, too!"  
  
"Not enough to stalk Rory. Come on, Lorelei, I'm taking you home.and keeping you there until your poor daughter gets home."  
  
"But what if he's some serial killer who we'll hear about when they find Rory's mutilated body?" she persisted as he pushed her backwards towards his truck.  
  
Luke squinted his eyes as he regarded the crazy woman in front of him. "You get the most disgusting ideas. Where do you come up with this stuff? I take it back! I don't want to know. Come on." He opened the door and waited until she flopped in the seat. Crossing her arms over her chest, she frowned petulantly as she looked out the window. Luke took one last look at her, sighed, and started the car. This should be a fun car ride.  
  
9:17 That Night  
  
Rory closed the door and jumped back as her mother pounced on her. "So Calvin, tell me, tell me!" she exclaimed excitedly.  
  
"My God, what did you do to her?" she asked Luke as he walked past her to open the door.  
  
"Trust me, this one's all you," he said. "Night, guys."  
  
"Night, Luke," Rory mumbled.  
  
"Night, Lukey! Love ya!" Lorelei called at the closing door. "Come on, say something!" She bounced on the balls of her feet and studied Rory's face closely.  
  
"That you're insane? Gladly," Rory told her, confusion still evident in her eyes.  
  
"You know what I'm talking about Calvin!" She recoiled for another pounce.  
  
"No, I really don't, Hobbes," she countered as she disentangled herself from Lorelei's grasp and walked into the living room.  
  
Lorelei huffed in annoyance, her eyes doing the squinty thing Rory knew too well. "I know I have raised you better than that."  
  
"What? What do you want to know?" Rory finally gave up as she dropped to the sofa. Lorelei followed suit and grinned at the younger woman.  
  
"So, who was the blonde god you were with?"  
  
Rory sighed, her eyes automatically rolling, and slumped back against the couch. This was going to be an incredibly long night! 


	4. A Blonde God, An Ill Grandfather and A T...

"Mom, calm down. First you get the coffee and the munchies, then I'll tell you a story that is bound to make your head spin." Lorelei was gone in a flash and Rory sighed in relief. She dropped her jacket on the back of the couch and crashed down on the comforting piece of furniture.  
  
"Okay, spawn of mine spill it." Lorelei dropped down beside her with coffee and popcorn.  
  
"Hope you've got time cause it's a long story."  
  
"It's either this or clean the house."  
  
"Story time it is then." Rory proceeded to rehash her entire afternoon with Tristan, stopping several times to assure her mother that the famed midnight cafe did in fact truly exist.  
  
"Ooh, Rory's got a boyfriend."  
  
"Mom, he's not my boyfriend. I couldn't even stand him until this morning."  
  
"Aah, but you like him." Lorelei smiled knowingly and drank her coffee.  
  
"Doesn't matter. I probably won't even hear from him again. He just got back yesterday. I'm sure the conquests will be flocking in." Lorelei stared smugly at her daughter when the phone began to ring.  
  
"It's your dime."  
  
"Actually, it's more like fifty cents."  
  
"Cell phone huh?"  
  
"Yeah, is Rory there?"  
  
"That depends, who are you?"  
  
"The bane of her existence."  
  
"I don't know Bible Boy. She might be in the shower, all dripping wet and naked and stuff." She heard a stifled groan on the other end. "But she's not."  
  
"Mom. Give me the phone." Rory rolled her eyes.  
  
"No points for you Mr. Manners."  
  
"Mother give me the phone or I'll tell Luke to stop serving you coffee."  
  
"Evil child. Why did I let you out of the womb again?" "So someone could talk Luke into giving you coffee." She snatched the phone out of her mother's hand and walked to the front door. "Now I'm going to go sit on the porch and you are going to spy on me through the window like a good mother, understood?"  
  
"Yes devil child."  
  
"Thank you." Rory walked out and sat on the porch swing, chuckling slightly when Lorelei's head appeared in the window making faces at her. "Hello."  
  
"That was interesting."  
  
"That is life with Lorelei Gilmore the second." She chuckled. "Calling already, really Tristan, I'm supposed to be falling desperately in love with you not the other way around." She laughed again.  
  
"Too late."  
  
"What?" She missed his comment through the laughter.  
  
"Nothing, I just wanted to say I had fun today."  
  
"Surprisingly enough so did I."  
  
"What are your plans for tomorrow."  
  
"Lay in bed all day."  
  
"Can I join you." She could almost see the smirk.  
  
"If you become a eunuch."  
  
"Ouch."  
  
"Exactly. What did you have in mind?"  
  
"Paris."  
  
"We hate each other remember."  
  
"Not Gellar, the city in France."  
  
"Nope, no frequent flyer miles to speak of, besides you are supposed to be staying close to your grandfather."  
  
"You were paying attention, and I am. He's flying to Paris tomorrow and I'm going with him." A molecule of anxiety crept into her mind. He was leaving again. "How long are you going for?" He noticed the slightest hitch in her voice.  
  
"A couple weeks. Come with us. I'll be on my best behavior."  
  
"Somehow that's not all that reassuring."  
  
He was losing her to reason. A sudden desperation claimed him. He wasn't sure he could make this trip without her. "Please Rory. He's not doing well. He wants to go one last time before he...I don't think I can do this by myself and you are the only one I trust enough to admit that to."  
  
She felt her heart clench at his admission. His voice was rough and strained. She sighed trying not to surrender to her misty eyes. "I'll see what I can do." She tried to even out her voice. "I'll call you in an hour."  
  
"Bye Rory." When she was about to hang up the phone she paused.  
  
"Tristan?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I'm sorry, I know how much he means to you."  
  
"Thanks, the means more than you know."  
  
"I'll see if I can go convince the crazy woman known as my mother to let me go gallivanting around Europe with the Evil Tristan." She heard him laugh and was relived.  
  
"Right, remind her that the knight guarding the grail was French for me."  
  
"That won't help the cause."  
  
"I just want to hear about her reaction."  
  
"That would be funny. Bye, Tris," she sighed.  
  
"Bye."  
  
Clicking the phone off, Rory squared her shoulders and headed back into the house, mentally preparing herself for the tantrum her mother would throw at the prospect of being left alone for a week. Staring at the phone in her hand as she opened the door, she failed to see the other woman opening it from the other side and the two collided. Two hands instantly flew to two sore heads as they backed away from each other.  
  
"Oww. Geez, Mom, I thought we decided there were some Mother/Daughter bonding tricks we could skip," she moaned, heading into the kitchen. "Yes, Devil Child, we did, but then you went outside where it was harder for me to hear and forced me to take drastic action," she glared as she took one of the ice packs her daughter held. "What exactly did the juvenile delinquent want?"  
  
"To steal me away and go to Europe for a couple of weeks."  
  
Lorelei moved the ice pack away long enough to give Rory a long look. She was sitting at the table, elbows propped on it, holding her ice pack to her forehead and keeping her eyes closed. Usually alert, she didn't seem to be paying much attention to the conversation at the moment.  
  
"And make passionate love to you in every city?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
Moving the pack from her daughter's head, she ignored the grunted protest and sat opposite her. "Now, paying attention, tell me what he wanted."  
  
"I was paying attention," she protested.  
  
"Ror, you just said he was taking you to make passionate love to you in every city."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"His very ill grandfather is taking him to Paris for a week. He doesn't want to go alone and needs some emotional support. Considering that Chiltonites don't exactly fit that bill, he asked me to go."  
  
"And you told him?"  
  
"That I'd ask you." Satisfied that she had given a sufficient explanation, she reached over and took her ice pack, promptly reapplying it to the knot on her forehead.  
  
Her mother, on the other hand, leaned back in her chair and gave her a disbelieving look. "You didn't say no?"  
  
Rory immediately noticed the tone and looked at her. "He needs someone, Mom. I don't think he has anyone he can turn to."  
  
"You being overdramatic about your head," Lorelei said, trying to think of an answer.  
  
"There's a knot on my head."  
  
"I don't have one," her mom shrugged.  
  
"You've got a thick skull," Rory smirked. "Hey, Child o' Mine, if you want me to let you fly off with a walking Abercrombie add, you better be nice to me!"  
  
"You're letting me go?"  
  
Lorelei sighed and was silent for a moment. "Yes, I am. But ONLY if you promise not to go to Fez and call every day."  
  
Rory leaned forward and hugged her mom close to her. "Thanks. I don't think his grandfather has much time and it's going to be really hard on him."  
  
"Don't worry about it. I'll have Sookie come stay over and we can paint toe nails, watch Love Story and eat all kinds of unhealthy things."  
  
"Hey, isn't that our normal routine?" Rory's asked as she seemed to be deep in thought.  
  
"Yes," Lorelei answered brightly. "She's your replacement for while you're gone."  
  
"Ok, well...I guess I'd better go call Tristan, see when we're leaving, what I need to get to take with me-"  
  
"Whether he likes pink or red teddies," Lorelei interrupted.  
  
"Shush, Evil Mother, I have no intention of letting anything happen between us! We're friends and that's all we'll ever be!"  
  
With that firm declaration, Rory stood and walked out of the room, leaving her mom to stare after her with a smirk growing on her face. "Sure. Just friends....and I'm leading the protest against coffee," she snorted, standing to go take stock of Rory's wardrobe.  
  
After a quick call to work out the details Rory joined her mother in her room. "What are you doing?"  
  
"Packing for you."  
  
"And how do you know what I want to take?" Rory peeked over her mother's shoulder.  
  
"Because I am much better at this outfit thing than you are, oh jedi in training."  
  
"Then please, teach away oh wise one."  
  
"What time are you leaving?" Lorelei continued to stuff clothes into a duffle bag and cringed when Rory pulled them back out to fold them.  
  
"He's picking me up around ten."  
  
"So one more night of harassing you before you leave me twisting in the wind huh?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Ben and Jerry's it is then." They finished packing her bags and made sure she had everything before flopping unceremoniously down in front of the TV with their ice cream. "So, nothing is going to happen between you two during an entire week in the city of love, huh?" Lorelei smirked at her daughter's scowl.  
  
"No, nothing." Rory nodded her head to emphasize the point.  
  
"We'll see." She turned back to her ice cream and ignored the pillow Rory flung at her.  
  
In Rory's opinion, the doorbell rang insanely early in the morning. She was dressed and ready but her head was buried in her arms as she draped herself across the kitchen table. "Come in." She didn't have the energy to raise her head.  
  
"What happened to you?" Tristan chuckled slightly.  
  
"Lorelei Gilmore happened to me. We were up until six am."  
  
"I guess you really will be needing this." He waffed the coffee aroma toward her until she perked up.  
  
"Rick's coffee?" There was an excited spark in her eyes.  
  
"Yep. He said he would miss his jedi but would forgive you if you brought him some gourmet blend back from Paris. He mumbled something about market research."  
  
She accepted the coffee gratefully and swallowed half of it before lowering the cup. "Ahh, brain once again functioning."  
  
"Do I smell coffee?"  
  
"Morning Lorelei." Tristan produced a second cup and handed it to Rory's eager mother. "Thank you for letting Rory come with me."  
  
Guzzling the coffee she fought desperately to remember what she was going to lecture him about. "God this is good coffee."  
  
"I told you." Rory shot her mother an I-told-you-so look.  
  
"Is this from the Midnight Cafe'?"  
  
"Yep. The man is a coffee god."  
  
"You keep bringing me this coffee and you have my permission to do whatever you want with my daughter."  
  
Rory almost spit her drink across the table.  
  
"I'll keep that in mind." Tristan leered at Rory bending to whisper in her ear. "I'm sure there's a thing or two I would like to do to you."  
  
Her face flushed scarlet but she pushed back her embarrassment and shot back at him. "I suggest you become accustomed to cold showers or this is going to be a really long trip." 


	5. A Coffee Maker, the First Signs of Seduc...

Less than 13 hours later, Tristan was watching Rory sleep as their plane touched down. The fact that she slept through it amazed him, but she was, after all, a Gilmore without coffee. After take off, Rory had promptly ordered a large coffee. After one taste, she gagged, half heartedly swallowed it and refused to take another sip, declaring that the watered down, day old coffee was an insult to her sense of taste and coffee itself. Tristan had laughed, received an icy glare, and ordered a bottled water for her. She promptly sulked and looked out the window. After entering a deep withdrawal headache and enduring it for as long as she could, she'd fallen asleep...and stayed that way. Tristan unbuckled himself and lightly shook her shoulder. She shrugged his hand off and rolled her head away from him. With a small chuckle, he unbuckled her and tried again.  
  
"Come on, Ror. You gotta get up, we're there." No response. "Rory!" Silence. After another shake, her arms moved out to stretch as she yawned and curled into a small ball. The content, sleepy smile she wore was truly reminiscent of a kitten. However, she failed to wake. Swearing under his breath, he slid a hand beneath her knees and another behind her back, bringing her against him suddenly. Moving out to the aisle, he carried her to the stairs and set her to her feet, keeping his hands on her arms. Dipping her forward slightly, he smiled as her eyes flew open. "That's more like it." She turned her head enough to glare at him. "We're here!" he stated.  
  
"I noticed," she mumbled, almost incoherent. Her body still sagged and he moved to stand next to her, one hand still firmly holding her arm.  
  
"Come on, Kitten."  
  
"Kitten?" her delicately raised brows seconded her question.  
  
"You look like a kitten when you're asleep, you stretch and curl in a ball, you have your definite likes and dislikes-"  
  
"So, basically I'm feline?"  
  
"A baby feline," he corrected.  
  
"Whatever," she rolled her eyes. "Where's your grandfather?"  
  
"Already at the hotel. He flew in last night. Somehow I didn't think your mom would go for that."  
  
"Probably not."  
  
The ride to the hotel was short and fairly silent, with Rory excitedly watching the passing scenes out the window and Tristan quietly observing her. After checking in and getting the keys to their rooms, Tristan took one of Rory's hands and had to practically drag her up the stairs.  
  
"You could help here," he commented.  
  
"Eh, stop! I'm looking," she complained. And she was. At everything. Each piece of furniture, picture and floral arrangement had her rapt attention.  
  
"My grandfather's waiting for us in his room," he said gently.  
  
The gentle reminder brought her back to reality. His grandfather. His grandfather that he probably didn't have much time with. "Right. Sorry. Lead the way," she smiled.  
  
Stepping into the empty elevator, Tristan pressed the button and leaned back against the wall. "You awake yet?"  
  
"Sort of," she stifled a yawn and grinned. "Your grandfather knows I'm here, right?"  
  
"Couldn't wait to meet you," he nodded.  
  
"Ah, so you've told him about me."  
  
"What? You think he hasn't heard of my little Mary?"  
  
"Great," she rolled her eyes. "That's not a good sign."  
  
The elevator stopped and the doors opened. Stepping off, Tristan navigated his way to room 446. Glancing back to see Rory hesitantly making following him, he raised his eyebrows silently.  
  
"Is he-I mean, how do I-"she started, not at all impressed with her own capabilities of speech.  
  
"He's able to walk on his own, he's alert and aware of what's going on around him, and act like yourself. He'll appreciate that more that acting like an average Chiltonite. He's not exactly your average man of power."  
  
"Ok, that I can do." She felt him give her hand a small squeeze as he raised his fist to knock on the door. When the call told them they could enter, she watched him turn the knob, not sure what to expect from the man on the other side.  
  
"Grandfather, are you in here?" Tristan pulled Rory gently into the room.  
  
"In here." They followed the voice into the sitting room of the suite. Rory giggled when she saw the older gentleman sitting on the couch in a Harvard sweatshirt and fuzzy slippers. He lifted the afghan from his legs to reveal plaid flannel pajama pants.  
  
"Not quite what you were expecting dear?" He smiled warmly at Rory.  
  
"No, not exactly."  
  
"Please, sit down, I have fresh coffee waiting for you."  
  
"Ooh! A family of Gods!" She grinned like the Cheshire cat and sank down on the couch.  
  
"I see you weren't exaggerating." Janlen Dugrey hugged his grandson and returned to his previous position.  
  
"She's almost as bad as her mother." Tristan laughed and sat down next to her.  
  
"It's nice to finally meet you, sir." Rory smiled shyly at the men around her.  
  
"Please, call me Janlen." He poured three cups of coffee and handed the teens their cups. "So Rory tell me about yourself?"  
  
"There's not much to tell." She shrugged.  
  
"I doubt that. Where are you planning on going to school?"  
  
"Harvard."  
  
He clapped happily. "I was a Harvard man myself." He chuckled and looked at his grandson. "I think I finally convinced Tristan not to follow his father down the evil path to Yale."  
  
"Where are you going then? I always figured you would go to Yale." Rory looked over at Tristan.  
  
"I'm going to Harvard." He smirked at her shocked look. "Think you can handle sharing the campus with me for four years, Mary?"  
  
"Down boy. It's a big campus, I am sure you can find some cheerleaders to flaunt your cavalier attitude in front of without interference from me. I on the other hand will most likely be in the library, we can't all get by on our self perceived good looks can we? What ever will you do when you realize you aren't as good looking as you think you are?"  
  
An explosion of laughter erupted from Janlen. "Tristan my boy. I love this girl! Finally you have met someone who can keep you in your place when I am gone." There was a boyish charm in the old man's smile that reminded Rory of Tristan.  
  
"You would find it funny," Tristan grumbled to his grandfather. His expression sobered slightly when he noticed his grandfather yawn. "Do you need to take a nap before we go to lunch?"  
  
"Yes, I do believe I do. Price you pay for getting old my dear." He smiled at Rory as he set down his coffee.  
  
"A nap sounds like a plan to me." She smiled and stood up.  
  
"What you didn't sleep long enough on the plane?" Tristan smirked and stood also.  
  
"It's not my fault they served that mockery of coffee. It was instant for crying out loud." She smacked his arm for emphasis.  
  
"Call us when you wake up and we will meet you for lunch, okay Grandfather?" He walked over to plant a kiss on the older man's cheek.  
  
"Get out of here you two. You're making me feel like a relic."  
  
"Well you are priceless." Rory giggled taking in his wardrobe once again.  
  
"Ah, quick one isn't she?" He smiled approvingly at his grandson's love interest. This one was powerful enough to change him for the better. He had already witnessed the beginnings of those transformations, now he just needed to stir the pot.  
  
"Unfortunately, yes." Tristan led her over to the door. "We'll be right down the hall if you need anything." Grabbing her hand and shaking off the surprise that she didn't pull away, Tristan led Rory down the corridor to their rooms.  
  
"Quite the interesting character," she commented with a smile.  
  
"You have no idea," Tristan agreed, shaking his head with a laugh. "He's a saving grace when you grow up in an empty house, though."  
  
"Well, if you ever need someone eccentric, I'm sure my mom would be a good substitute."  
  
"No kidding. She's twice as odd as he is. Well, here you are, safe and sound at your door. I've done my duty and seen the lady safely home, is there anything else you need?"  
  
"Real coffee."  
  
"You just had some."  
  
"Your point being?"  
  
Tristan opened his mouth to respond, then waved his hand through the air and shook his head. "Never mind. I planned ahead on that one and made sure there was a coffee maker in your room-"  
  
"Really? Yay!" she threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek happily.  
  
"Lord, you're addicted," he muttered, placing his hands on her waist while she continued to hop up and down. "We're getting a weird look from one of the maids," he whispered in her ear as he saw the woman looking them up and down before opening the door to the room she was about to clean.  
  
"Oh-right," she blushed, removing her arms from around his neck and stepping back.  
  
"I so made you blush!" There it was, that annoying little smirk.  
  
"Did not."  
  
"Did to."  
  
"Did not."  
  
"Did to."  
  
"Did-"she stopped and closed her eyes. "Do you have any idea how immature we sound?"  
  
"Yep," he readily admitted, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "We seem to bring that out in each other."  
  
"Which bodes well for this week."  
  
"Ah, admit it, you're thrilled to be in a faraway place with me."  
  
"Thank God this is a big hotel." She rolled her eyes, sometimes he could be so exasperating.  
  
"Yes, but our rooms connect to each other."  
  
"What?" she shrieked, earning another look from the maid who was wheeling her cart into the room.  
  
"Yeah, meant to tell you that before. They were the only rooms left."  
  
"In the entire hotel?" she questioned.  
  
"No, on this floor and I wanted to be close to Grandfather and figured you'd probably want access to us if you needed anything."  
  
"Us?"  
  
"Well, you were bound to like him and if you're mad at me, you can always go to him," he shrugged.  
  
"Fine, fine. There's a lock on this door, right?" At his nod, she continued. "Ok, we'll both forget it's there and it'll be fine. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a coffee maker calling my name. See you later, Tris."  
  
"Bye, Kitten," he smirked. She shook her head, but smiled as she unlocked her door and entered. Tristan took three steps to his own door and promptly went in, going to the adjoining door to check the lock. If she found out that all he had to do was twist the knob a certain way to disarm it, she'd kill him!  
  
Tristan settled back on his bed and flipped on the TV only to be disturbed by loud swearing coming from the next room. Moving quickly he knocked on the door separating the two of and waited impatiently for her to open it. "Rory what's wrong?"  
  
She opened the door looking slightly frazzled and greatly annoyed. "My mother is so dead when we get back." She huffed and turned back into her room.  
  
"What did she do?"  
  
"Stole my coffee." She grumbled as she tossed clothes into the dresser.  
  
"You have coffee here." He pointed to the ample supply on the dresser.  
  
"Not Luke's coffee. He gave me a bag so I wouldn't miss home too much and the wench stole it right out of my suitcase. I knew I should have suspected something when she decided to pack for me. That evil little troll." She was pacing back and forth like a caged tiger.  
  
Chuckling slightly Tristan began to brew a pot of coffee while her tirade raged on.  
  
"After all the times I've done things for her, all the trips for coffee I've made for her and she does this! I can't believe her." She slammed her toiletry bag on the counter of the bathroom and stomped back into the room.  
  
Tristan handed her a mug full of steaming brew and watched as she chugged it. "Ooh, hot." Setting the mug down on the dresser she flopped over on her bed. "She hates me. She lashing out at me for leaving her, like a puppy." Filling another cup, he moved to sit next to her on the bed an hauled her into sitting position. "At least she didn't chew on your favorite slippers."  
  
"I wouldn't put it past her." She took the offered cup and downed it. "Thank you." She yawned happily as the liquid warmed her insides.  
  
"Better now?"  
  
"Crisis averted. You might just survive this week yet." She leaned back against him and sighed heavily. "I'm going to kill her."  
  
"No, you're not. You're going to call Luke and have him cut off her supply for a day or two." Tristan handed her his cell phone.  
  
"Ooh, evil, I like it." She called the diner and filled Luke in on her predicament and he swore to make her mother suffer for a day or two. "Ha! Take that you green meanie!" She shouted at the phone.  
  
"I don't think she can hear you." He laughed and took the phone back.  
  
"There you go with that logic again. Stop it, it's not healthy." She yawned again, softly like a small purr.  
  
"Whatever you say, Kitten." He heard her scowl but she didn't move away from him. Stretching out next to her on the bed he had to smile when her sleepy form curled alongside his body. He knew she was tired when she rested her head on his chest, if she was fully alert that never would have happened.  
  
Rory's tiny smile, however, contradicted his theory on just how awake she was. Curling closer to him to rest her head on his chest, she waited until his arm came to pull her closer and hold her tightly in place. Letting him keep his theory, she nuzzled her cheek against his shoulder and sighed contentedly. Since when was the enemy such a comfy pillow? Allowing the feeling to wash over her, she closed her eyes and let sleep claim her.  
  
Waiting until he was sure she was asleep, Tristan turned his head to kiss her hair before closing his own eyes. TV could wait. It was rare that Rory would actually relax so completely around him. The fact that she was even here still amazed him. Yeah, they were on the road to friendship and could actually have a civilized conversation, but this? Nope, the woman would never cease to surprise him. The dull ringing of his cell phone disturbed the quiet and he quickly fumbled through his pocket to shut it up. Clicking it on, he looked down to be sure she was still asleep. She was. "Yeah?"  
  
"Well, my boy, you've outdone yourself!" the voice boomed.  
  
A sigh. "Aren't you supposed to be napping?" he asked the old man with a smile.  
  
"Napping? When I have your love life to interfere in? Never!" the old man told him adamantly. Sometimes his grandson could be so dense.  
  
"Hold on." Tristan reluctantly slid out from under Rory and walked back into his own room. Knowing Janlen, this was bound to be an animated conversation and he really didn't want her waking up to hear it.  
  
"I will not hold on. I want details," Janlen huffed.  
  
"Yeah, well, she's asleep and right now I want her that way."  
  
There was a pause. "She's asleep?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"In your room?"  
  
"No, I'm on my way out of her room."  
  
"Moving kind of quickly, aren't we?" The teasing tone didn't escape Tristan, but first he had to get some distance between him and the vixen sleeping peacefully.  
  
"No, I'm not," he shut the door dividing their rooms. "She was mad at her mom and I helped her plot revenge, then she fell asleep. End of story."  
  
"With you? I doubt it," he snorted. Did his grandson think he was blind simply because he was old?  
  
"Why did I want to get a cell phone that worked here again?"  
  
"Quit changing the subject. You've finally found a girl who's a woman, not a puppet sitting around having her nails done. Now I know how you found her, I also know how you lost her, what I want to know now is how you got her here."  
  
"Well, you wanted to make a last trip here, I didn't want to come alone, and you're not doing so well. She agreed to come for moral support."  
  
"You make it sound like I'm at death's door," the challenge was obvious in his voice.  
  
"Minor exaggeration," Tristan admitted evasively.  
  
"I may be old, I may be sick, but I'm not leaving until you're done being raised and that hasn't happened yet. How much did you 'exaggerate' with her?"  
  
"Not that much, actually. I told her you were ill, wanted to make one last trip and I didn't know how long I had with you. You are ill, you don't plan on coming back here again, and I don't know how long I have with you."  
  
"You should be a lawyer."  
  
"Wouldn't my father be thrilled?!"  
  
"I take it back, you should be in a circus."  
  
"So how much do you think I stretched the truth?"  
  
"Not too much, it would seem. Just enough to get what you wanted."  
  
"A flaw in my character."  
  
"Well, in all truth, I could very well go tomorrow-"  
  
"Grandfather!"  
  
"SO, you're off the hook with me."  
  
"Great to know." Tristan rolled his eyes.  
  
"Tell me more about this little spit fire you've got. I like her!"  
  
"Which is good cause she really likes you, too."  
  
"Did she scream about the rooms?" he chuckled.  
  
"Sort of. I told her there was a lock on it and she relaxed." The humpf on the other end of the line came through loud and clear. "What? There is a lock!" he insisted indignantly.  
  
"Yes, but Tristan, I know you. You pull pranks for entertainment. You break into safes, rent a crane and lift your father's favorite car to the roof of a building, and stop smirking, you cement the headmaster's honorary man of the year award into the gas station's wall-"  
  
"Alright, I get it, Grandfather. What's your point?"  
  
"Simply that not only do you pull pranks, you pull elaborate pranks. Picking locks is like opening a jar for you. The talent of a delinquent youth, if you will. That lock won't keep her safe from you if you get it in your head that you want in her room."  
  
"What she doesn't know, she can't scream about."  
  
"Or know to prop a chair against her door."  
  
"Don't advise her to do that."  
  
"She may need to in order to be safe from you."  
  
"Yes, because I'm going to sneak into her room and have my way with her while she's asleep," Tristan said tauntingly.  
  
"Very well, I won't say anything to her."  
  
"Much appreciated."  
  
"Tris?" a sleepy, almost inaudible voice called from the other room.  
  
"I gotta go," he told the older man hastily. "Nap and we'll come by for you later." Without waiting for a response, he hung up and tossed the phone on his dresser. Opening the door, he saw Rory sitting up on the bed. Her hair was a mess, her eyes were sleepy, and she seemed utterly confused by his disappearance. "You ok?"  
  
"Yeah, I just didn't know where you went." She fell back on the bed and curled into a fetal position.  
  
"Aww, you missed me."  
  
She opened her eyes to glare at the boy sitting down on her bed. "No, I was simply making sure you weren't rifling through my underwear drawer or something. Wouldn't put it past you."  
  
"Whatever you say, Mary."  
  
"Ugh!" She pulled her pillow over her head and tried to ignore the tapping on her side. After the tapping turned to tickling, she yanked her arm down and let out a giggle that somehow managed to sound infuriated. "Cut it out!" Slapping his hand away, she waited until it returned to grab a hold of his wrist. Caught slightly off balance, he fell forward and narrowly missed landing on her by planting his hands on either side of her head.  
  
There was a moment of silence before he broke it, his voice low and husky. "Not exactly a position I would have expected you to put us in. I thought I'd be the one to land us like this."  
  
"Ignoring the fact that I have only murderous thoughts toward you right now?" she managed to gasp out, her breath coming in broken interludes.  
  
"Kitten, the look in your eyes has nothing to do with bloodthirst," he told her simply, leaning down to gently nip her earlobe before forcing himself to leave the bed and walk away from her.  
  
When the door shut behind him, she pulled herself onto shaky legs and went to lock the door. Leaning back against it, she whispered quietly, "He is so arrogant-and so damned right." 


	6. Tristan? Evil? Pshaw!

Tristan made a straight line for the bathroom and turned the water just short of glacier temperature. If his grandfather's match making didn't give him heart failure, the look in Rory's eyes most definitely would. He was almost positive she wasn't ready to take that step. They had just graduated to the point where she could hold a conversation with him without wanting to shoot him, the last thing he wanted to do was rush her. But Lord help him, if she kept looking at him like that he would lose his resolve faster than Louise lost her underwear at a party.  
  
"Ugh!" Rory was pacing back and forth trying to ignore the sound of the shower next door. The thought of a sopping wet, naked Tristan was not going to help her calm down. She didn't understand him at all. He had pushed her for something physical since the day they met and he just walked away from the tiny window of opportunity she had provided. "Damn it to hell!" She really wanted him to kiss her. She could hear Lorelei in her head right then singing I told you so over and over again. "Shut up wench, I'm still mad at you for the coffee thing." Coffee, she needed coffee. She probably shouldn't leave without telling someone but she really needed to get out of her room. Staring at her bed was winding her tighter than a spring. She couldn't tell Tristan, he was in the shower. "Stop thinking about that!" Her inner dialogue was definately not listening to the words coming out of her mouth. "Janlen, I'll tell Janlen!" She grabbed her purse but stopped with her hand on the door.  
  
Should she interupt his nap? This couldn't be helped, it was a caffeine emergency, leading all Gilmore's to do drastic things. Janlen would understand, he was a Harvard grad. She knocked timidly on his door and tried to stand still. She lost out the the fidgetting and almost jumped out of her skin when the door opened.  
  
"What can I do for you, Rory?" Janlen smiled at the frazzled look on her face. His grandson was starting to get to her.  
  
"I'm sorry to bother you but I really need coffee and I didn't want to go out with out telling anyone"  
  
"Isn't there any coffee in your room?"  
  
"Yes, but it's no good."  
  
"Why didn't you tell Tristan?"  
  
"He's in the shower."  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
"I don't know yet."  
  
"You are just going to wander around town?"  
  
"Enough with the questions, man, I'm in need of coffee!" Rory slapped her hand over her mouth as soon as the words came out of her mouth. She just had a Tristan moment and forgot that he was a well respected elder.  
  
Janlen burst out laughing at the horrified look on her face. "It's alright. I didn't get where I was without annoying people. I imagine Tristan picked up that obnoxious habit from me." He smiled genuinely. "Come on, let's go to the cafe' in the lobby and you can tell me what has you so upset."  
  
She eyed him suspitiously. "They serve good coffee there?"  
  
"Not the best but I think you will find it acceptible." Without further thought she grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the elevator. Sitting down with a cup of coffee and the pot Rory downed three cups before she even considered speaking. "He's starting to get to you." Janlen chuckled.  
  
"Evil, evil little child."  
  
"I wouldn't call him evil." Janlen frowned.  
  
"Not Tristan. My mother. She stole my coffee."  
  
"Ahh, crime against humanity if I've ever heard one."  
  
"Exactly. People underestimate the power of ambrosia." She nodded resolutely and poured herself another cup. "And to respond to your previous statement yes. He's latched on like a little parasite I can't seem to shake."  
  
"He has a tendancy to do that." Janlen smiled knowingly.  
  
"What am I conquest forty? Fifty?" She huffed into her mug.  
  
"More like the conquering hero." Janlen mumbled.  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"You captured his flag when he wasn't looking."  
  
"His flag being?"  
  
"His heart."  
  
"And you think I have it?" She scoffed.  
  
"My son has many talents, love is not one of them. He married for power and influence. Tristan started out like him, much to my disappointment, until the day an innocent, small town girl walked into his world." Janlen laughed and filled her empty cup. "He went to North Carolina to become a man, but he came back to Hartford reclaim his heart." He met her gaze with unwavering sincerity.  
  
"If he loves me so much, then why does he spend so much time trying to piss me off?"  
  
"He doesn't know how to love, Rory. He's trying, don't be too hard on him if he falls back into the game."  
  
"I can't decide if you are wise beyond your years or crazy as a loon." She studied him seriously.  
  
"Go with wise beyond my years, it inflates my fragile ego." He chuckled at the girl.  
  
"Fragile, my butt. Your ego is just as healthy as Tristan's" She shook her head and drained the last of the coffee.  
  
"Feeling better?"  
  
"Definately awake now."  
  
"Then we should head back upstairs. I'm not looking forward to going to lunch in my pajamas."  
  
For the first time Rory noticed he was still in his flannel pants and fuzzy slippers. She tried to force out her apologies between giggles as he stood and offered her his arm. "I'm sure Tristan would be mildly embarrassed."  
  
"You wouldn't be?"  
  
"No, Mom drags me to Luke's diner in her pajama's all the time. It's the price of a coffee addiction."  
  
"I will have to meet her sometime."  
  
'I think you will find her an interesting charecter. She's crazy you know."  
  
"Always a good quality in a woman. Makes it easier for you to handle old farts like me." Laughter filled the hallway as the doors to the elevator closed.  
  
"Grandfather, have you seen Rory?" Tristan walked into Janlen's suite and searched the rooms. "Grandfather!" He was starting to panic. He had left her alone in her room to take a shower but she was nowhere to be found and now Janlen was missing as well. "Stop panicking, they're fine."  
  
The door opening started him out of his thoughts. "Ahh, tristan. We wo't have to come looking for you after all." Janlen smiled.  
  
"Where have you been. I was worried sick."  
  
"Ahh, Dad, I just wanted some coffee." Rory whined and dropped down on the couch.  
  
"You have coffee in your room."  
  
"Let me clarify." She rolled her eyes for emphasis. "Good coffee." Bouncing slightly where she sat, she glanced quickly around the room.  
  
Tristan just sighed and shook his head. He placed his hand on her shoulder to still her. "How much did he let you have?"  
  
"I don't know I lost count." She smiled smugly as she leaned in to whisper. "And don't think I didn't notice you gave me decaf in the room."  
  
He had the decency to look embarrassed. "How did you know?"  
  
"I live on coffee, I can taste the difference." She sneered hoping he would believe her bluff. Truth was, she watched him pick up the canister, but if he thought she really could tell the difference maybe he wouldn't try it again.  
  
"Oh." He crowded her slightly. "And we wouldn't want her highness to be unhappy now would we?"  
  
"Not if you want to survive this trip!" She took a step away from him sudenly uncomfortable with his proximity to her.  
  
"What's the matter am I making you uncomfortable?"  
  
"Ugh, grow up DuGrey." She hissed as she turned and walked out of the room. "I'm going to change."  
  
"Not the smartest way to win over a woman Tristan," Janlen chuckled from his spot on the sofa.  
  
"I know, she just makes me so..." He threw his hands up in the air in defeat. "Ahh!"  
  
"You better go smooth things over before she decides to stab you with your salad fork at lunch."  
  
"Fine," Tristan huffed and walked out into the hall.  
  
"This is going to be an interesting week to say the least," Janlen smiled and picked up his newspaper. "Mary!" Tristan jogged down the hallway to catch up with the girl walking away from him. Why did she always seem to be doing that? "Rory!"  
  
She stopped and waited until he caught up to her, surprised when he came to stand in front of her. "Practicing name games?"  
  
"Thought I'd give it a shot, see how many names I can get you to respond to."  
  
"One," she said simply, inserting the key in her door.  
  
"Wait," he grabbed the knob and held it closed against her attempts to enter.  
  
"So you can finish whatever game you started in there? I don't think so," she snorted, again trying to push the door open.  
  
"Would you stop for a second?" Impatience was starting to creep into his voice. He was trying to apologize, for crying out loud!  
  
"No! Not when you're trying to MAKE me do something. God, déjà vu?"  
  
Something flickered in his eyes at her subtle reminder of the "P.J. Harvey incident", as he had come to call it. "Forget it. I was going to try and smooth things over cause I hadn't meant to piss you off-just never mind."  
  
Rory felt a pang of guilt rip through her as he turned and hastily unlocked his own door. "Tristan, wait-"  
  
"I said forget it, Mary."  
  
Rory watched as his door slammed shut on her face, unsure of what she had done to trigger the sudden coldness from him...it wasn't like him. Brows furrowed in confusion, she turned and went into her own room.  
  
The phone in his room was ringing insistently as he locked his door back and stalked across to throw himself on the bed. Ignoring the sound, he closed his eyes and waited for it to stop...and waited...and waited. With a growl of frustration, he grabbed the phone. "What?" he barked into the receiver.  
  
"I hope your tone was gentler when you apologized to her."  
  
Tristan flopped back and ran a hand tiredly over his face. "I tried."  
  
"And?"  
  
"She was being stubborn, I was stubborn, she brought up a memory I'd rather not relive, I walked out on her."  
  
"When she made up with her boyfriend?" the old man asked.  
  
"No, but you're close," he sighed.  
  
"When she said 'no' to the concert?" he asked quietly.  
  
"Yeah," he chuckled humorlessly. "She actually used that against me. Didn't think she had it in her."  
  
"I doubt she knows how much that hurt you."  
  
"Right. How could she not?"  
  
"You're both feeling vulnerable, Tristan, and she doesn't understand why you were acting the way you were...or are now, I'm sure."  
  
"Maybe," Tristan turned his head to look at their connecting door, "but I don't really want my heart broken."  
  
"It's a risk you have to take to deserve her."  
  
"I know, Grandfather, I know."  
  
"Will she be joining us for lunch?"  
  
"I'll try," the younger man promised, hanging up the phone and again running a hand over his face. Trying to gather his resolve to go try again, he was surprised when he heard her timid knock on his door. Slowly going to open it, he saw her standing in the hallway with a lost look on her face.  
  
"That was a cheap shot, and I know it. I should never have used it. You were being nice and I, being the idiot that I am, was acting like a bitch." She watched a tiny smile curve his lips. "I'm sorry."  
  
"Forgiven on one term."  
  
"What?" she asked, wary of what he had in store for her.  
  
"Don't ever call yourself a bitch," he said simply, shaking his head.  
  
She chuckled in relief and smiled. "Deal. You still up for lunch?"  
  
"What, you think you have one cheap shot and are free of me? Sorry, Babe, that's not how it works."  
  
"I should have known to expect nothing else from you." She rolled her eyes, but there was a playful sparkle that belied her words.  
  
"I thought you were going to change." He gestured to her rumpled outfit.  
  
"Oh, well you see," she started sheepishly, "I spent the first few minutes being a dunce and having to figure out what I did, then I spent the next few minutes getting enough guts to come over here."  
  
A smirk formed on his face as his eyes again swept her. "Next time you look this rumpled, I'd like to think I've had a more active role in making you that way." Watching the heat take over her face and turn her cheeks a rosy hue, he waited for the inevitable comeback.  
  
"In that case, I'm not sure the hotel has enough water for all the cold showers you'll need." Her response was lame and delayed, but after her thoughts this morning, the mere reference to sex was leaving her slightly off her game. "Now, there's a sweet older gentleman waiting for us to go to lunch, so I'm gonna go change and pray you stay out of trouble while I'm gone." Turning and going back to her room, she failed to hear his mumbled response.  
  
"The only trouble I want is with you; or didn't you know?"  
  
AN: Crappy place to leave it, I know, but I'm already getting the next chapter ready to go, so if you all insist, I'll get my lazy butt to post it this weekend. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this part. Sorry for the delay. Oh, and the crappy title. You wouldn't believe how brain dead I went when I tried to come up with one. 


	7. The Trouble With Mimes

Janlen, delighted to see that Rory had in fact joined them, chose a small sidewalk café for lunch. Rory had downed a pot and a half of coffee, smirking at Tristan when Janlen betted her on whether or not she could actually consume "an entire pot". She'd finished the pot, won the bet, and moved on to another pot. As her prize, she could later call on a favor from Janlen and he couldn't refuse her. With a groan and roll of his eyes, Tristan had encouraged his grandfather to walk away from it, already knowing the outcome. Janlen, to his credit, was stubborn and stuck it out.  
  
"Well, young lady, now that I owe you whatever you little heart may want, how about we go over to that little park while Tristan pays?" he asked with a twinkle in his eyes.  
  
"Why, that sounds marvelous!" she played along. "Bye, Tris!" she dismissed him and took the old man's arm and allowed his to escort her out. Watching them leave with a tiny chuckle, Tristan waved an arm through the air to get their bill.  
  
"So you seem to be getting along with my grandson."  
  
Rory was sitting on a swing and shot a playful glare toward where Janlen sat on a bench. When he met her glare and raised his chin a little higher, she shrugged. "Sometimes."  
  
"Humph!" he snorted. "And sometimes my late wife thought she liked me. Other times she was sure she hated me. But always, she loved me."  
  
"I'm not your late wife and Tristan certainly isn't you," Rory said vehemently.  
  
"We'll see."  
  
Rory looked to where the enigma sat with a serene smile, content that he had ruffled her feathers enough for the moment. "You seem to have an attachment to this park."  
  
"Yes I do. It was one of the places I brought Tristan whenever he joined me on trips. The first time we came here, he was four. That little clown saw a puppy running loose and decided it was his duty to catch it, take it home, and teach it how to sing the 'ABC's'."  
  
Rory laughed at the thought. Yep, teaching a dog to sing was something she could definitely see a young Tristan trying to do.  
  
"He chased that little mutt all through here. And I do mean all through here! That child was fast, but the pup was faster. They dashed through the swing set, under the slide, around the benches, in cirles around the trees...the pup finally took a leap to land in that fountain." Janlen paused to point to where a tall, graceful fountain stood in the center of the park. Barely able to see it through her laughter, Rory waited for the inevitable ending. "My little fool was SURE he had him then, so he ran, took a dive-"  
  
"And landed smack in the water," Tristan finished as he rounded the corner and pushed Rory's back. Rory glanced over her shoulder to where Tristan stood pushing her swing, the laughter forcing tears to her eyes at the thought of the dignified, never ruffled, suave Tristan DuGrey landing in an undignified heap in a water fountain.  
  
"That pup decided the game was over and came to lick my grandson's face," he watched said grandson roll his eyes, "and the child decided he no longer liked the game. He cried, he splashed the dog-"  
  
"He later took the dog home as a pet," Tristan added, hoping that it would calmed Rory's laughs at least enough to prevent her from falling off the swing. When she doubled over and held onto her stomach in a renewed fit of giggles, he gave up. When the swing came back, he grabbed the chain in one hand and slipped his other arm around her waist, holding her against him as he released the swing.  
  
"No...fair," she managed to gasp out several minutes later. "I was having fun," she looked defiantly into the intensely blue ones watching her.  
  
"You were gonna fall off, I helped you." The statement was simple, but Janlen took his cue.  
  
"If you two rascals will excuse me," he watched Tristan carefully put Rory to her feet, "I'm going to go back to the hotel and rest."  
  
"We'll go with you," Tristan said quickly, already moving forward.  
  
"I'm not an invalid. You've got a beautiful girl, a beautiful, city, beautiful park and beautiful day. Stay and enjoy them. I can rest without help."  
  
"We don't mind walking you ba-"Rory started, a reassuring, perky smile in place when Janlen waved his hand dismissively.  
  
"Tut, I am a grown man and perfectly capable of walking from the park to the hotel. Would you two children stop trying to baby sit me? Now then, have fun, run all around the city, don't damage any property, I'll see you at dinner."  
  
The two stood watching him turn and walk away, wondering how on earth one person could be so stubborn...then they looked at each other. Oh, yeah. THAT'S how one person could be so stubborn.  
  
"So," Rory started, flopping back into her swing, "it looks like we've got the afternoon to ourselves."  
  
"And oh, the things we could do. Maybe we should head back to the hotel..." he trailed off, sitting in the swing next to her's.  
  
"Get over yourself," Rory rolled her eyes, trying uselessly to hide the smile that took over her features. "Hey, since it's fairly warm, maybe we could go for a dip." She cut her eyes to look at him before adding slyly, "In the fountain."  
  
It was his turn to roll his eyes. "I was four years old, Kitten."  
  
"You wanted to teach it to sing the 'ABC's'!" she persisted emphatically, turning to sit side ways.  
  
"You think I should have gone for 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star'?"  
  
"I think you should go find a puppy and do a reenactment. I'll choose between the two songs while you're running around the park. By the time you land in the fountain, I should have come to a decision."  
  
"Give it up, Ror. How about some ice cream?"  
  
"And coffee?"  
  
"Coffee ice cream?"  
  
"Oooh, I like you!"  
  
"Knew you did," he smirked, taking her hand and leading her down the side walk.  
  
"Umm, sweet frozen goodness." Rory's eyes rolled back in her head as she tasted the ice cream.  
  
"You are something else, Rory Gilmore." Tristan laughed and sat down on the bench next to her.  
  
"Thank you. I will take that as one of your warped and deluded ideas of flattery."  
  
"That it is." He smiled and returned his attention to his ice cream.  
  
"Tristan, can I ask you something?" Her face was serious and void of emotion.  
  
"That's a good way to scare the hell out of a guy."  
  
"Sorry." She went silent, studying the drop of ice cream running down the side of her cone.  
  
Tristan prompted her when he realized she wasn't going to say anything else. "What were you going to ask me?"  
  
"Why do we always end up fighting?"  
  
"I don't know." He looked away from her. "I don't want to, it's just..."  
  
"One of us always pushes just a little too far" He simply nodded. "I don't want to fight anymore."  
  
"I don't either."  
  
"Ok, enough with the mushy stuff, bring on the entertainment." She downed the rest of her ice cream quickly and jumped off the bench.  
  
"Where do you want to go?"  
  
"Can we go terrorize the mime in the park?" She rocked back and forth like a small child.  
  
"Is it going to get us arrested?"  
  
"Does it matter?" She cocked a brow.  
  
"No," He laughed and followed her as she skipped down the path.  
  
"I didn't think so."  
  
"How is it you can be ready to tear my head off one minute and be skipping down to humiliate a mime the next?"  
  
"You've never spent any time with Mom. I'm mild in comparison." She shrugged. "Besides, creating a living hell for anyone dumb enough to make their living climbing imaginary ropes is enough to make anyone all warm and fuzzy inside."  
  
"Have a real hatred for mime then do you."  
  
"One ran over the neighbors cat once. It took us a half hour of charades to figure out what the hell he was trying to tell us. A man digging an imaginary grave to tell you your cat is dead is not high on my list of communication preferences." She looked over to see Tristan trying desperately not to laugh. "And so the war was born."  
  
He lost the fight over his humor.  
  
"It has become a Gilmore mission to drive every mime to the brink of insanity and then kick their mute butts right over the edge." She giggled uncontrollably at the image.  
  
"If you ever decide to write a book about your life, please give me a pre- production copy. I don't think I could stand the suspense of waiting for it to hit the shelves."  
  
"You really think it would be worth reading? My life story that is?"  
  
"If the rest of it is like what you already told me, it'll wind up in the comedy hall of fame. How can it not with you and your mother as main characters?"  
  
"Point taken." She took off in a sprint when she noticed the mime up ahead.  
  
45 Minutes Later  
  
"I can not believe good little Rory Gilmore got us chased out of the park by a cop."  
  
"It wasn't my fault the guy had a panic whistle. He is supposed to be silent!" She stuck her lip out to pout and it took everything in his being not to lean down and kiss it.  
  
He held her door open for her after she unlocked it. "Come on, I'll make you a cup of coffee to make up for the lack of mime harassing."  
  
She looked at him suspiciously. "No decaf?"  
  
"No decaf. I've given up. It's a pointless battle, anyway."  
  
"Smart man." She studied his movements as he set up the coffee pot to make sure he didn't try and sneak the decaf into the filter. Satisfied that it was fully caffeinated java, she sank down into her bed and sighed. "Think there are any bad French films on TV?"  
  
"You are really hurting for something to make fun of aren't you?"  
  
"I'm not allowed to make fun of you anymore. It's sort of putting a cramp on my fun meter," she snickered.  
  
"Sorry to inconvenience you." He poured them both a cup of coffee and switched on the TV before joining her on the bed. She cuddled back into the pillows and took a long swig from her mug.  
  
"Mmm, a girl could get used to this."  
  
"Laying in bed with me? I imagine it would be the highlight of most women's lives," he smiled playfully.  
  
"I meant being waited on." She rolled her eyes and set down the empty mug.  
  
"Don't get too used to it. We aren't staying that long."  
  
"Then I guess I'll just have to find myself a poor, pathetic freshman to do my bidding when we get to Harvard."  
  
He knew she wasn't serious but it didn't stop the surge of jealousy that someone else might get this close to her. "Or I could just play knight in shining armor and show up before you start terrorizing some unsuspecting member of my gender."  
  
"How noble of you to volunteer yourself into slavery."  
  
"I just know how to handle all your crap."  
  
"Humph." She turned away from him.  
  
"Oh, cut it out." He slid his arm under her and rolled her over to lean on him. "You know that a rookie could never handle all your neuroses."  
  
"True," she huffed and laid her head on his chest. "It took me three years to train you."  
  
He could feel the wicked grin on her face. "Just keep telling yourself that Mary." He was surprised she didn't pull away from him immediately. "You comfortable?"  
  
She was about to snap at him when she realized he wasn't mocking her anymore. "Yeah." Smiling genuinely for the first time in ages, Tristan settled in to laugh at French cinema with the girl of his dreams cuddled at his side. 


	8. Lorelei's Punishment, Rory's Delight

Chapter Eight: Lorelei's Punishment, Rory's Delight.

"Do you think Luke's keeping his promise not to give Mom coffee?" Rory finally asked, her voice muffled by Tristan's shirt and her eyes drifting closed before she could stop them.

"Probably.  Somehow, I think he enjoys tormenting her."

"And you drew this conclusion from….?"

God, she was clueless!  "It just seems like they have that kind of relationship.  You wanna call her and check?" he already knew the answer and held the phone out to her.

"Uh huh," she giggled, bouncing to sit on her knees while she dialed the number.  Shaking his head, Tristan stood from the bed and went to give her a coffee refill.  Handing her the mug, he resumed his place next to her and watched a gleeful, evil smile take over her face.

"This damn well better be someone calling to say that the sky is falling, it plans on hitting my mom's place first, I alone will be left on Earth and that all the coffee in the world will therefore be bequeathed to me.  Otherwise, you'd better be calling to say that my horrible child died a slow, coffeeless death.  If neither of the above are your reason for calling, then get the hell off my phone!"

"Wow, you're cranky!"

"Score one for the stater of obvious facts!" Lorelei's arms threw up in the air as if her daughter could see her.

"So you haven't had any of Luke's life saving ambrosia?" The innocent voice was just too taunting!  Tristan rolled his eyes and smacked her knee.

"You horrible, HORRIBLE child!  I am going to have to sick Michel on you!  I'm going to have to forbid Sookie from giving you food!  I'm going to tell Mrs. Kim not to let-no, I'm tapped.  I can't be cruel to Lane."

"Good girl."

"WHY would you decide to torture your poor mother like this?"

"Poor Mother?!  You stole my coffee!  Luke had given me some to bring and you TOOK it!"

"What?  He never gives me any.  I was desperate.  I knew I'd need comfort food because I wouldn't have you around and I'd be sad and mopey-"

"Oh, give it a break," her daughter cut in mercilessly. "You committed a capital offense and are being punished for it.  There's no way I'm going to retract your punishment."

"Mean.""Deserved."

"Why did I teach you to walk again?"

"Cause I was growing and you didn't want to carry me everywhere."

"And I taught you to talk because…?"

"Luke eventually closes and then you need someone to bicker with."

"Oh.  Right.  So how's Evil One?"

"Find out yourself.  Here."

Tristan took the phone being pressed against the side of his face.  "Hey, Lorelei."

"You didn't stop her from torturing me?"

"I think the correct response was 'Hey, Hot Tristan.  How's Paris?'."

"Hey, Hot Tristan., How the hell's Paris?"

"Paris is fabulous.  They have all kinds of mimes here."  He cut his eyes over to Rory.  She stopped mid-sip and watched him intently.

"Mimes?!  You said mimes!  Oooh, oooh, try making them talk.  If you light a match and get it close enough to their faces, they'll scream!"

Rory watched the way Tristan fell back onto the bed laughing and took the phone from him.  "What did you tell him?"

"To try to scare the mime into screaming.  Is he laughing?"

"Yes, he is.  Apparently he finds our vendetta against the stupid things funny."

"I take it you've come across one."

"Yes, I have."

"Ok, Child o' Mine, what did you do to make Mommy proud?"

"Tortured him.  Got chased out of the park by a cop for it, too!"

"I've trained you well!"

"That you have."

"So what are you guys doing?"

"Watching really stupid French stuff and talking to you."

"Hmm.  Sounds fun.  Well, Babe, sorry to bail and leave you to His Hotness, but Sookie and I are going to go see a movie and I've got to go now or I'll be late."

"What movie?"

"Don't know.  Her turn to pick."

"Ah, gotcha.  Good luck."

"Thanks.  Have fun."

"Bye."  Rory hung up and laid back down next to Tristan, her cheek pressing against his shoulder as she nestled in and got comfortable.  "Mmmm.  You're a good pillow."

"Glad I serve some purpose," he chuckled, reaching one hand to stroke her hair.  Feeling her muscles melt into him, he continued the motion and kissed her forehead.

"Yep.  Comfy pillow is your middle name."

"Sure it is, Kitten."  Flicking the volume back on, he let his eyes drift to the screen, wondering how he had ended up trapped by a guileless virgin from a small town.

"So you're a horrible child huh?" Tristan smiled at the tingles dancing up his spine when he felt her laugh.

"It was confirmed with a vengeance. I would not be surprised in the least if all of my slippers were chewed up when I got back."

 "Yeah, but the Terrorize A Mime campaign had to help somewhat."

"It will definitely lighten the load of the purgatory sentence I am facing."

"She does remember you are leaving for college in a few months right?"

"Don't even bring that up. It is a source of much frustration. She about ready to bag the Inn and go college so she can be my roommate."

"Why do I think you aren't kidding?"

 "Because you just had a very serious conversation with a grown woman about the best way to terrorize mimes."

 "True. Does the fire trick really work?"

 "Not as well as the peeing puppy trick."

"Dare I venture a guest?"

"It's pretty self explanatory if you ask me, but then again I wasn't schooled in the higher education system of the military."

"Ouch."

"Although I will say one thing for them, they make you into really good pillows."

"Are you saying I'm fat?"

Fat was definitely not a word she would associate with Tristan. They apparently had him on a rigorous workout schedule because, where he had always been trim, now he was very well defined. The feel of the strong arm hugging her against his chest felt intimately familiar, which was surprising given the long history of hostility between the two of them. "If you are thinking I will fall into that trap you are wrong, cause I'll just tell you flat out yes, you're a little bit soft. You eat too many candy bars from your care packages?"

"No, no care packages. Well except for Grandfather and he never sent candy, he just sent news paper clippings and books."

She seemed to sober slightly. "I'm sorry. I assumed your enormous fan club would be sending weekly updates. If I had known then I would have-"

"What, taken pity on me?" The thought of Rory pitying him hurt. He didn't want her pity.  He wanted a thousand more intimate moments just like this one in a lifetime filled with passion. Tristan balked at himself mentally when he realized his thoughts sounded like a Hallmark card. Besides, Rory would never allow more than friendship, they had spoiled whatever was developing between them in the hallway earlier.

"I can never be accused of pitying you." She chuckled slightly at the thought, sighing as his fingers slipped through her hair gently. "But I would have at least kept you updated on the latest gossip at Chilton. There were some wild theories running around about you."

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

"You know, the standard bad boy rumors. Arson, grand theft, parole violations. You name it, you were guilty of it."

"And yet, you still had the nerve to speak to me at your grandmother's party, I'm honored that you would be kind enough to grace a felon with your company."

"Yeah well, you know how I feel about Hartford gossip. According to them mom has two more illegitimate children by the town troubadour and I lost my virginity in the back of a Buick with the Thompson's pool boy, Franklin."

"You didn't, did you?"

"No, it was a Chevy Chevette."  Tristan's eyes nearly popped out of his head, they were thrust open so far. He was sure his heart had stopped.

"Rory!" he exclaimed.

 "What?" She looked at him, her eyes the picture of innocence. She couldn't believe he was buying this but the look of absolute shock in his face was priceless. He didn't even want to touch the pain inside him knowing she was no longer pure, and that it was someone unworthy of her.

"A Chevette?"

 "What's wrong with a Chevette? It's not like he could afford a more expensive car."

"I figured you were more of a romantic than to have your first time in the back of a crappy car." He had planned on showering her with affections, surrounding her with moonlight, candles and flowers.

"What would you suggest, a hotel room in Paris?" She smirked ruthlessly. He just stared at her like a rat on a sinking ship watching the water rise around him.

"I walked right into that one didn't I?"

"I'm afraid so." She sighed and resumed her spot. Relief flowed through him and he sighed. "Face it Tris, you're transparent."

"I am not, I'm…"

"Mysterious, aloof and quite charming when you want to be," she supplied with a faint smirk.

"That's not what I was going to say." He frowned.

"Maybe not, but it was along the same lines."

"You aren't as smart as you think you are."

"I'm not as naïve as you think I am." She smiled and nuzzled deeper into his chest, enjoying his scent. "And you aren't the playboy everyone thinks you are."

He shrugged. "I always do what I want, when I want to." It was a weak response and he knew it, but the tiny fingers doodling meaningless patterns on his chest were very distracting.

"No you don't. You've had several chances to kiss me and I know you wanted to but you opted for civility. Not a quality I would have readily associated with you, was it fear perhaps? Are you scared of what might happen if you tried?" She smirked mercilessly as she looked up at him, enjoying the idea of taunting this massive male ego before her, unaware of the consequences of her actions.

"Is that a challenge?" He propped his head up closing the distance between the two of them, expecting her to cower away, feeling a thrill when she didn't back away from him.

Rory fought down the tiny flicker of fear at his nearness and weakly asked, "To challenge the mighty Tristan DuGrey?  I wouldn't dream-" her voice broke off as he nuzzled his cheek against her own and brushed a kiss across her skin.  "God, Tristan," she sighed, her arms feeling weaker with each heavy breath and threatening to drop her flat on her back.


End file.
